S. Korea's nuclear envoy to hold bilateral, trilateral talks with U.S., Japanese counterparts next week

SEOUL, June 17  -- South Korea's top nuclear envoy, Noh Kyu-duk, will hold bilateral and trilateral talks with his U.S. and Japanese counterparts in Seoul next week to discuss cooperation over the complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, the foreign ministry said Thursday.

Noh is scheduled to meet bilaterally with Sung Kim, the new U.S. special representative for North Korea, and his Japanese counterpart, Takehiro Funakoshi, on Monday. The three will also meet trilaterally on the same day, Yonhap news agency reported.

Kim, who currently doubles as U.S. ambassador to Indonesia, is set to arrive in Seoul on Saturday for a five-day trip. It will mark his first trip to South Korea since taking office as Washington's point man on Pyongyang.

"Noh plans to hold a meeting with Special Representative Sung Kim for discussions on bilateral cooperation in making substantive progress in the complete denuclearisation and establishment of lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula," the ministry said in a press release.

The nuclear talks have been arranged as they seek to chart a coordinated diplomatic strategy to resume nuclear diplomacy with a recalcitrant Pyongyang.

The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has completed its monthslong review of policy on the North and said it would pursue a "calibrated, practical approach" toward the goal of the complete denuclearisation of the peninsula.

-- BERNAMA